So Hot SoHo

03/11/2011 by Jason Oliver Nixon

A furry-yet-glamorous moment served with a side of stellar views at SoHo's new Mondrian hotel.

Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood shed its edgy, artist-friendly vibe several years back when mainstream and luxury-geared retailers moved into the byways south of Houston Street. If you are looking for cutting-edge art galleries in New York City, head to the western fringes of Chelsea. But back to SoHo: Wandering along the nabe’s Prince and Spring Streets—not to mention Broadway and West Broadway—on any given weekend, you will be besieged with international visitors browsing everything from Chanel and the Apple Store to Ralph Lauren, Topshop and Muji. And forget trying to eat breakfast in peace at Balthazar, the neighborhood’s French-ified cantina.

SoHo still has a few streets that haven’t been Gucci-ized. Wander down Howard Street and peruse the amazing, organic-inspired jewelry at Ted Muehling or wooden, handcrafted furnishings at John Houshmand. Don’t miss the exceptional treasures at De Vera, either. One route that has suddenly burst onto the scene—but that has yet to turn into an al fresco mall—is Crosby Street. A dingy street until recently, the opening of the white-hot, color-packed Crosby Street Hotel from British hoteliers Tim and Kit Kemp put the street solidly on the jet-set map.

Recently, the southern end of Crosby Street unveiled another hotel, the uber-chic Mondrian SoHo. It’s the latest from Morgans Hotel Group, the folks behind NY’s Royalton and Hudson, Miami’s Delano and the Sanderson and St Martins Lane in London. Step inside and experience the whimsical blue-and-white color scheme from the design-focused hotel group. The interiors were crafted by designer Benjamin Noriega-Ortiz as an homage to Jean Cocteau’s film La Belle et la Bête. It’s wacky yet glamorous, although we thought the furry, Oompa Loompa-like lamps might eat us. Speaking of eating, dine at Imperial No. Nine, the hotel’s American seafood eatery from chef Sam Talbot. Try slow-cooked octopus with jalapeno sofrito and lime, fried oysters with crispy ham or king crab a la plancha paired with decadent cocktails. The No. One mixes Champagne, elder flower cordial and chai tea with cucumber foam.

Comments

Leave comment

Name:

E-mail:

Your URL:

Comments:

Enter security code:

About Jason Oliver Nixon

Global Lifestyle Editor Jason Oliver Nixon is always on the prowl for the latest and greatest finds, whether it’s ferreting out the grooviest new restaurant in Paris or unearthing a home design store in Dubai. "I am attracted by color and energy, passion and verve," says Nixon. "Who wants to be beige and boring?" The former Editor in Chief of Gotham, Hamptons, and Los Angeles Confidential magazines, Nixon makes frequent appearances on television as a style authority. A resident of Brooklyn, New York, Nixon escapes to London whenever possible, where he can be found happily ensconced at Fortnum & Mason perusing new-fangled jams.

To contact Jason Oliver Nixon with your comments, questions and blog suggestions, email him at jasnixon@gmail.com. Or, post your comment on his blog!